


And we Ride by the Storm, in The Night We're Reborn

by Verycoolkraut



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Caleb do be simping for Astrid tho, F/M, Gen, How Do I Tag, Inspired by Stardust, Not Beta Read, Pining, Stars, Teleportation, What Was I Thinking?, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verycoolkraut/pseuds/Verycoolkraut
Summary: Once Upon a Time, some many years ago, a letter found its way to an aging scholar in the Royal Academy of Science names Yussa Errenis. The scholar, Yussa, befuddled by the nonsensical letter briefly wrote a reply, portraying his thoughts about the nonsense of the letter and gave it to a letter boy by the name of Leofric and told him to deliver the letter to the other side of The Wall.
Relationships: Astrid & Caleb Widogast, Astrid & Eodwulf (Critical Role), Astrid/Caleb Widogast, Astrid/Eodwulf (Critical Role), Jester Lavorre & Caleb Widogast, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, probably sorry? Idk if it's no good someone good at fic writing can make a better version but I still feel kinda bad that I'm the first person putting up a wj stardust thing. But, it's up now so hey, what can you do. I guess this is where I say enjoy? Yeah. Enjoy! (If you enjoy it, if not lmk in the comments so I can fix errors for the next chapter)
> 
> Title is from "Blessed and Possessed" by Powerwolf. Idk how to make titles either.

Once Upon a Time, some many years ago, a letter found its way to an aging scholar in the Royal Academy of Science names Yussa Errenis. The scholar, Yussa, befuddled by the nonsensical letter briefly wrote a reply, portraying his thoughts about the nonsense of the letter and gave it to a letter boy by the name of Leofric and told him to deliver the letter to the other side of The Wall. 

\--------

Leofric made haste back to the wall to deliver the letter from Yussa, when he met the opening in the wall. Alongside it sat a firbolg that stopped his entrance through The Wall.

"Well, hold on there just a minute sir. I'm afraid I can't let you by." The firbolg explains with a rumbly, calming voice.

Confused at his words, Leofric raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean I can't go through? I have a letter to deliver." Leofric argues.

"Hey now, I'm terribly sorry about that, but I can't let you past." The firbolg calmly states. "But if you'd like to sit and chat we could maybe share a kettle of tea?" 

Leofric subtly rolls his eyes, before pasting on a friendly face to the firbolg. "No, thank you. If I can't pass The Wall I suppose I'll just head back to the homestead!" He says with a smile, before turning heel and starting to slowly walk away from the wall.

"Well alright." The firbolg rumbles, "if you ever need to sit and chat then I'm usuall- hey, wait, stop!" The firbolg turns back towards Leofric to see him dashing towards the hole in the wall when his back was turned. Unfortunately for the firbolg, he wasn't quick enough to stop the young boy and Leofric was soon running through the fields on the other side of the wall.

"Oh Wildmother have mercy", the firbolg grumbles, shaking his head as he goes back to sit in his chair, (which is far too small for him) to keep watch of the wall once again.

\--------- 

Leofric ran through the vast fields until he reached the outer walls of a city. Entering the gates he started making his way through many various vendors and stalls perched on the sides of the road. All of a sudden, Leofric’s eyes were caught by that of a young woman in a beautiful blue dress sitting on a bright yellow trading cart behind one of the stands. Suddenly, an older, wilting looking woman stepped in front of him, narrowing her eyes skeptically.

“Pah”, the old woman scoffs, “I don’t deal with time-wasters.” The woman turns her head towards the woman sitting on the cart with a look of heavy disinterest in her eyes. “Una, come over and tend to this stall, I’m off to The Slaughtered Prince for a pint.” She grumbles the last part of her sentence as she starts walking away from the stall, in the assumed direction of ,“The Slaughtered Prince”. 

As the old woman steps away from the stall, the girl, Una, walks up to the front where Leofric is standing, watching her. “See anything you like, Herr?” She asks with a sweet, if a little teasing, smile.

Leofric, still caught staring at this woman, lets a grin creep across his face. “Ja, definitely”, he says as he leans a bit closer to her, eyes locked. Suddenly he pulls his head back a bit awkwardly, clearing his throat. “Um, j-ja, I mean how much do these flowers cost?” He asks, pointing to a small cluster of small, blue flowers.

She hums under her breath, holding her hand up to her chin in mock thinking. “Hmm, well these ones could be the color of your hair”, her eyes dart up to the ginger curls atop Leofric’s head, “or perhaps they might be all of your memories before you were three, I’d have to check.” She says with a smile.

After a few moments of silence, Una speaks up again, pointing to a singular white flower next to the bunch of blue flowers. “Anyways, I wouldn’t buy the Bluebells, I would buy this one instead.” She says as she carefully picks up the small white flower. “Snowdrop,” she says as she meets his eyes again. “It brings you good luck”.

Leofric’s eyes darted to the flower briefly, before being captured by her beautiful cerulean eyes (which, he was now noticing, was the same color as her dress). “And how much does that one cost?” He asks Una.

She leans in a little closer, encouraging him to do the same, as she says, a little breathily, “A kiss”.

After a momentary pause, Leofric and Una lean closer together, lips meeting in a slow, sweet, but somehow chaste kiss as she pulls away after a few seconds, a wide smile on her lips as she glances over his shoulder. 

“Is she gone?” Una asks him.

Taking a quick glance over his shoulder and around the market from where he’s standing he stiffly nods, “ja”.

“Follow me,” she says, tugging his arm closer towards the bright yellow trading cart that she was previously resting on. “I’m a princess,” she whispers into his ear, “tricked into being a witches slave.” She raises her dress just a tad to reveal a jeweled looking chain fastened around her ankle. “Will you liberate me?”

Leofric looks down at the chain around her ankle and pulls a small knife from his pocket before creating a loop with the chain and cutting it open. As soon as the ends of the chain fall apart, however, some strange magic causes the chain to immediately reconnect itself, leaving Una still trapped.

“It’s an enchanted chain”, Una explains to Leofric wide-eyed shock. “I’ll only be free when she dies”

Leofric turns his head back up to meet her eyes; “Well, if I can’t liberate you, what do you want of me?” He asks her. Suddenly, her smile turns a tiny bit mischievous before standing up, pulling him up by the arm with her before she pulls him into the open doors of the yellow wagon, closing them behind her and him.

{Hrm hrm hrm ensues}

\-----------  
[9 Months Later]  
\-----------

_knock knock knock_

The sound of the banging on his door startles him in his dinner, as Leofric sets down his utensils and goes to open the door. Carefully creaking it open he’s met with the sight of the tall, familiar firbolg that was watching the wall all those months ago when he slipped by. Opening the door a bit further Leofric could see that the firbolg was carrying a basket, and inside of the basket lay a child.

“This was left at the wall for you. It says here his name is Caleb.” The firbolg said in his deep, soothing voice as he handed the basket to Leofric and started making his way back to the wall where he would stand guard again. Leofric stands in stunned silence, looking at the baby basket now in his arms and eventually brings the baby inside, closing the door behind the both of them.

\---------  
[18 Years Later]  
\---------

“Caleb, do you have the flowers?” Leofric calls as his boy gets ready to step out of the house. He’s been talking an awful lot about this “Astrid” and he’s proud that he's finally going to try and pursue her.

“Ja, pater,” he chuckles, shaking the small, frugal bunch of flowers in his hand. His father was very helpful in preparing him for this(hopefully) to-be date, and as usual, Caleb was eternally grateful for his help. As he stepped out of the house, flowers in hand, he turned back to poke his head in the house once more. “Danke! I’ll see you in the morning father!” He calls, before shutting the door behind himself and making his way over to Astrids

The relatively short walk took much longer than it should have, Caleb definitely not purposefully walking a bit slower than usual, getting easily distracted, but eventually Caleb makes it to the front of Astrid's home, plenty bigger than his own, but still quite small. Quickly looking around at the ground, he picks up a small pebble and throws it to her window, the small clack is just barely audible from where he’s standing. He can hear the sound of chatter coming from the other side of the window as it’s swung open.

3 girls poke their heads out of the window excitedly

“Eodwulf?” One of 3 girls call out.

“Wulfie?” Another one calls, Astrid.

Caleb nervously clears his throat, “Um, nein, it’s, uhm, it’s Caleb.” He calls up, wringing the flowers nervously in his grasp.

“Oh-,” Astrid calls down, “did I leave something at the shop?”

“N-no,” Caleb stammers, starting to raise the small bouquet, “I just thought I could bring-”

As Caleb gestures to the flowers, suddenly there are no flowers in his hand, merely a cluster of stems. Turning to look he sees Eodwulf standing before him, taller, more muscular (as always), and weilding a dueling sword. Caleb gulps.

“Caleb Widogast,” Eodwulf snarks. “Bookworm by day, peeping tom by night.” He chuckles to himself, “what a charming young man you are.” Punctuating his point by driving his sword into the inside of Caleb's right shoulder, pushing him back, leaving him stumbling.

“Eodwulf, there's no need to be like that.” Astrid whines down from the window. “Be nice to the poor boy”.

Caleb, stumbling, sees a fencing pole-ish lengthened stick on the ground and goes to pick it up as Eodwulf calls from behind him. “Were those flowers for Astrid?” He questions, pointing to the decapitated flowers on the ground. Caleb gets his feet back under himself, holding the stick how he was taught in school.

Going to lunge at Wulf with the stick, he is easily deflected and his weapon is flung out of his hands as Eodwulf retaliates by pushing into his chest and tripping him, making Caleb fall flat on his back with Eodwulf’s rapier applying light but firm pressure on his chest. “You were always useless at fencing in school, Caleb.” Eodwulf taunts, “In fact, I'm having a hard time remembering if there was anything you were good at besides being a recluse and reading all day.” He sneers down at him.

“Eodwulf, that's enough!” Astrid calls from the window, finally causing Eodwulf to withdraw his sword from Caleb’s chest. She turns to look at Caleb, his face flushed red with shame or embarrassment. “Are you alright?” She asks him.

Still a nervous wreck from seeing Astrid, and then getting embarrassed in front of her, he takes a moment to reset his brain quickly before finally managing to struggle out a quick, “J-ja, ja. Fine.” He says as he starts picking himself off of the ground, dusting off his already horribly dirty clothes. As he finishes wiping himself off he sees that Eodwulf, Astrid, and the other girls are all looking at him with poorly masked amusement and he takes it as his cue to flee back to his house, far faster than he arrived.

Caleb has a terrible time trying to fall asleep that night, and when he wakes up to the morning sun shining through his window. Wait, sun shining? Oh no, he’s supposed to be at the shop before the sun even rises. Hastily putting on his cloths and rushing through the downstairs, his father stops him.

“Would you like some breakfast, Caleb?”

“Danke, but nein, father. I’m terribly late for work already.” He says, wiggling himself into his jacket.

Leofric raises a skeptical eyebrow at Caleb’s state of disarray before speaking up again. “Oh, I was unaware”, Caleb nods, “Last night, how’d it go?”

The question seems to make Caleb pause his hurried action for a brief moment before he seems to snap back into himself. “Oh, ja, really good. Really, really good”, he says with a pasted on smile. His father didn’t move for a moment, eyes squinting at Caleb and he was starting to worry that his father might call his bluff, before Leofric nods his head stiffly, giving Caleb an encouraging smile.

“Alright then, that's good to hear. Do good at work today!” He calls after Caleb as he’s rushing out of the door.

\-------------

“-That’ll be 6 copper ma’am.” Caleb says as he hands the woman her sack of potatoes and bag of rice. The next woman steps in line and he begins helping her with what she needs when suddenly he hears a voice by his side.

“Hello, Caleb.”

He turns to look and sees Astrid staring back at him.

“A-Astrid”, he stammers nervously.

“Pound of sugar, please”, she says with a sweet little smile on her face that makes him drop everything he was doing with his previous customer and focus all he has on Astrid (even though she may have skipped the line leading out of the store).

“Ja, of course”, he says, grabbing the sugar.

“Let’s see,” she says, tapping her nose in thought, *the best nose*, he thinks privately, “a bag of flour, a dozen eggs.” Astrid lists off a few more things she needs, Caleb grabbing them all without a second thought despite the look of disdain and barely contained fury his boss was giving him.

“Listen,” she says, “I’m sorry about last night. Eodwulf was being really rude.” She said as she leaned on his shoulder a bit, causing his brain to short-circuit briefly.

“Nein, it’s alright, it was nothing.” Caleb says, gathering a couple more things she asked for, potatoes and chocolate. Once he was just finishing gathering everything he needs he turns to her. “May I perhaps see you tonight?” He asks nervously.

A moment passes with her thinking before she replies. “No, but you may walk be home,” she says as she forms a triangle with her arm, offering him to take it.

“Right now? You mean?” Caleb asks, Astrid nods with a smile.

Turning to look at his boss, who is now positively fuming, he sees she’s staring daggers at Caleb as she struggles to keep up with the business now that Caleb abandoned his post. Ah, well. He was probably going to get fired anyways.

“Ja. Ja, I can”

\-------------

Caleb stood facing the small mirror, resting his arms on the countertop. “Pater, I lost my job.” Shaking his head he said to the mirror again, “Pater, I don’t… I lost my job. I’m sorry.” Caleb let out a long groan as he dragged a hand down his face, staring at himself in the mirror again. “Pater…”

“You lost your job.” The voice suddenly appearing behind him startles Caleb, and whipping around he sees his father staring at him. “Yes, so I heard”, Leofric says, quietly tutting his tongue.

Caleb’s mouth moves for a moment, no sound coming out, before he swallows deep and finds his voice again. “P-pater, I’m sorry. I-.” Caleb takes another few moments to collect his own thoughts before letting out a long, slow exhale. “Perhaps- perhaps Ms. Lionett was right. Maybe I am deluding myself.” He lets out a defeated sigh. “I’m not good enough for Astrid.”

Suddenly his father cuts into his self-deprecating rambling. “He said that? That’s poppycock” he scoffed.

Looking up at his father, Caleb sighed again. “Do you really want to know how it went last night?” 

“Ja, I do.” His father states.

“Not good. Not good at all…” Leofric raises his hand and opens his mouth to speak but Caleb cuts him off before he can even start. “Come on. I’m wasting my time. I’m not like Eodwulf. He’s handsome, and muscular, and tall, and- and everything I’m not.” Caleb’s voice starts breaking towards the end, and his father pulls his head down into his chest for a hug.

“Caleb, I can tell you that every man that i’ve ever envied when I was a boy lived an unremarkable life.” He pulled back a little so he could look Caleb in the eyes. “So if you don’t fit with the popular crow, now, I take that as a very good omen.” His words seemed to be soothing his son, for the sadness in Caleb’s face seemed to be receding.

“Danke, pater,” he mutters.

\---------

_clack_

The familiar sound of Caleb’s pebble striking Astrid’s window echoes slightly in his ear. Soon after, the window opens revealing a confused, exasperated Astrid.

“ _Caleb_ , I clearly said-” she starts

“I know. You told me not to come.” Caleb looks down, kicking the dirt with a little smile on his face. “But I have something for you. A surprise.”

“ _Ugh_ , fine,” Astrid complains as she slams the window shut. A few moments later she’s stepping out of her front door and fast walking to catch up to Caleb’s already moving form, bumping into his shoulder playfully. “You know, it’s not my birthday for another week…”

\----------

Caleb led Astrid to an open field where he had a set up blanket along with a basket full of the finest consumables that his near empty pockets could afford. 

“I’ve never had champagne before”. Astrid says as Caleb pours her a glass.

“Ja, me neither.” He replies, smile playing on his lips as he looks up at her, filling his own glass before they lift up their full glasses for a toast. As soon as the drink hits their tongues both of their eyes widen.

“My God! This is Delicious!” Astrid exclaims with a pleased smile. “How did… Well, How does a shop boy afford all of this?” She asks him.

The question causes Caleb to stop his glass just before it meets his lips for another sip. “I’m not a shop boy.” He retorts.

Remembrance hits Astrid as she exclaims, “God! I heard. I’m sorry. What are you going to do now?”

Caleb catches her confusion and makes a little ‘ah’ sound before elaborating. “No, I mean I’m not a shop boy. I was just, working in a shop,” he says with a little chuckle as he goes in for another sip of champagne. Finishing his sip he continues, “And now I’m not. And now I’m free to live my life however I wish,” he tells her with a smile that crinkles the sides of his eyes a bit.

She nods her head a bit before taking another surveying look at the buffet of picnic food on the blanket. “But this must have been all your savings,” she says, a bit surprised before looking back at him.

“So? I can make more. That's the beauty of it.” He finishes his glass of champagne and sets it down, reaching for the bottle to refill it. “You know, I never intended to stay in Blumenthel, Astrid. There's a big world out there! I’m going to make my own fortune,” he says as he swings his outstretched arm across the sky with a hopeful smile.

She chuckles into the last of her glass, “Now you sound just like Eodwulf. He’s quite the adventurer.” She takes the final sip of her champagne glass before holding it out for Caleb to refill. “Did you know he’s going all the way to Hupperdook just to buy me a ring?”

Caleb almost spits out his drink at that, turning to her with slightly widened eyes. “Hupperdook? Astrid, I'm talking about Nicodranas, or Bladegarden or-,” suddenly her remark about Eodwulf going to Hupperdook to buy her a ring. “A- a ring? Why is he…” worries begin to creep in the back of Caleb’s mind. _Oh Widogast, you know what kind of ring she’s talking about,_ his traitorous head tells him. “What kind of ring?”

She sets her glass down and leans a little closer and stage whispers to him. “The word is he's planning to propose to me on my birthday,” she says, giggling a bit at the end.

Caleb’s brain fuzzes at this new information. _He’s, he’s going to propose to her? In a week? Scheisse_. “He’s going to…” Caleb has to clear is throat part way through, not able to get all the words out. “He’s going to propose to you. And- and you’re going to say yes.” He says, more of a statement than a question because then again, why would she say no to Eodwulf?

She giggles again, a noise he loves to hear, “I can’t exactly say no after he’s gone all the way to Hupperdook,” she says into her champagne glass, using it to hide her shy smile.

Caleb’s jaw nearly drops. “All the way to Hupperdook? Astrid, for your hand in marriage I’d cross oceans or continents.”

She raises an eyebrow at his statement. “Really?”

“Astrid, for your hand in marriage I would go to Nicodranas and steal enough jewels from the amythest of the sea to buy all of Blumenthal. For your hand in marriage, Astrid, I would march up to King Dwendal and demand an offering from him to you.” Caleb presses on, even when his ideas start running a bit thin. “Astrid, I’d travel the Xhorhasian wastes and bring you the head of a Moorbounder-”

At this she lets out a noise of mild disgust. “Ugh! The head of a Moorbounder?” Caleb’s eyes go wide and he mentally kicks himself for his terrible offering idea. “You’re funny, Caleb,” Astrid says with a roll of her eyes. Suddenly the field grew quiet between the two of them. “People like you and people like me, we’re just not…” Astrid spends a few seconds, seemingly looking for a word to finish with, before the mounting discomfort of tense silence starts to drive her away. “I- I should be going,” she nervously chuckled, “It’s really late,” she says, starting to raise herself to her feet.

Caleb, in a desperate attempt to prolong the moment reaches over some of the food and grabs her arm before she can make it all the way up, prompting her to raise a curious eyebrow at him. “Wait- can we- can we at least finish the champagne?”

Astrid pauses for a moment before letting out a mock exasperated sigh and smiling. “O-kay”, sitting back down.

\---------

_Had Caleb known then how the stars watched Earth, he’d have shuddered at the very thought of an audience to his humiliation- But, fortunately for him, nearly every star in the night sky was at that moment looking in earnest at the land on the other side of the wall, where the King of all Stormhold lay on his deathbed, which was a coincidence- because it was the king’s final act that would change the course of Caleb’s destiny forever…_

_To be Continued_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where is Lorenzo?” The queen says, lying on her deathbed with her remaining sons, save Lorenzo, with her.
> 
> “He’s on his way, Mother.” Mollymauk replied with a very subtle roll of his eyes, though not missed by his two brothers who shared the sentiment.
> 
> “Then, we shall wait,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy I stopped procrastinating on this it's another chapter, still basically the movie with characters swapped around but eh, AU I suppose lmao.

“Where is Lorenzo?” The queen says, lying on her deathbed with her remaining sons, save Lorenzo, with her.

“He’s on his way, Mother.” Mollymauk replied with a very subtle roll of his eyes, though not missed by his two brothers who shared the sentiment.

“Then, we shall wait,” The Queen says, as the bedroom is engulfed in silence, the 3 present brothers fidgeting where they stand.

Some minutes pass before the bedroom doors are swung open, entering the queen’s fourth son, Lorenzo. “Sorry I came late, Mother. I came as swiftly as I was able.” Lorenzo says as he stands in front of his mother, placing himself in the middle of his brothers. 

“Lorenzo, Mollymauk, Essek, Vax’ildan”, nodding to each one of her four sons respectively. “So, to the matter of succession. Of my seven sons, there are four of you today still standing.” She lets out a little chuckle, seemingly reminiscing on her earlier years. “This is quite a break in tradition, I had 12 brothers-” Suddenly the queens voice is cut off by that of one of her sons, Mollymauk.

“And you killed all of them for your throne before your father, the king even felt poorly blah, blah, blah.” Mollymauk says, heavy sarcasm in his voice and he rolls his eyes and uses his hand to talk. “We know, mother,” he continues, “you’re strong and courageous.” Molly sighs

 _“And cunning,”_ this time it’s the Queen’s turn to cut off Mollymauk. “Most importantly, cunning.” She takes her focus off of Mollymauk to turn and look at Lorenzo instead. “Lorenzo,” she says.

Standing up straighter at his name, he replies, “Yes, Mother?”

The queen shifts her gaze to the large balcony on the other side of the room. “Look through the window, Lorenzo. Tell me what you see.”

Lorenzo walks up to the balcony, standing on it and looks over the entirety of Xhorhas. “I see the Kingdom, Mother, the whole of Xhorhas.” Lorenzo turns back to his mother, watching her expectantly as the three brothers stand in silence.

“And?” Leylas, the Queen, replies.

“Lorenzo turns back to look over the kingdom, looking closer than he was before but still not finding anything of serious note. Raising the pitch in his voice a little he turns to his mother and brothers again. “My kingdom?”

The Queen raises her chin slightly in judgement before lowering it back down. “Hmm, maybe. Look up, Lorenzo,” she commands.

Lorenzo steps back onto the balcony once more and cranes his head to look up to the stars, the various constellations. Suddenly, an unexpected force pushing him from behind catches him off guard, losing his balance and sending him toppling over the edge. He hears laughter from his mother as he tips over the point of no return. Lorenzo lets out a cry of fear as he falls, getting one last look from where he fell and seeing the lavender face of his brother, Mollymauk, shooting him a fanged grin.

\----------

All of the sudden, as if by magic, Lorenzo finds himself in the throne room, sitting above the Queen’s bed. 

“Lorenzo,” he hears in a deep, grumbling voice and as he turns to the direction of the noise he sees his brother, Grog. Looking around him he can see Percival and Yasha as well.

“Grog, Percy, Yasha”, he says, looking at all three of them in shock and disbelief. “You’re alive! You’re…” All of a sudden, Lorenzo notices the spectre-like forms of his siblings and pauses in realization. 

“Stuck like this, until the new king is crowned.” Percy says with a grin as he takes in his newly deceased brother's miserable expression.

With a groan, Lorenzo pulls his face out of his hands and holds his index and thumb very close to one another. “I was that close,” he whines.

The deep voice from his larger brother, Grog, catches his attention. “Well, at least you haven't lost your looks,” he chuckles.

Lorenzo rolls his eyes, looking at his dead brother. “Oh please, You’re not annoyed about that whole murder thing, are you? I mean, come on, that was 10 years ago.” 

Grog speaks back up, voice intimidating as it was in life as it is in death, “great deal of goof it did you, didn’t it. Killing me Lorenzo?” He suddenly lightened his voice as he continued talking, “because now, of course, now you are the King of all of Xhorhas!” He exclaimed in fake joy and congratulations before bringing a massive hand to his chin and stroking it, looking up as if he were deep in thought. “Oh, sorry. Wait. No, you’re not. You’re dead!” He exclaims as he starts laughing full-bellied at his brother Lorenzo, Percy and Yasha joining in on the taunting as well.

\----------

Vax leans over his Mother, who seemed to be dozing off, and started shaking her awake. She starts mumbling before looking at Vax with confused eyes. “Una, Una?” She says, reaching for Vax’s face.

Vax, cringing a bit as his mother's hands push into his face, gently grabs her wrists and pushes them away. "No, mother. It's me, your son, Vax'idlan."

Leylas grimaced a bit at his words, "Where is your sister, Una?"

Vax bites his lip, letting out a slow exhale before speaking up again. "Sorry, mother. Nobody has seen Una for years now."

As if by clockwork, the eyes of Essek, Vax, and Leylas all train on Mollymauk, who having just disposed of his brother, Lorenzo, was slightly taken aback by the implications they were all throwing his way. "Mollymauk," his mother says.

"What?"

"Tradition dictates the throne must pass  
to a male heir."

Molly nods, "exactly, mother." Noticing the 3 sets of eyes still watching him skeptically, he continues, "why would I kill my sister  
when these cretins are still alive?" Gesturing to Essek and Vax as the "cretins" in this case.

The response elicits a scowl from his two brothers, which he returns with a tricky smile, but it pleases his mother enough to stop the questioning. "Indeed," she says, "therefor, we shall resolve this situation of undecided inheritance in a non-traditional manner. She then removed a large, Ruby red gemstone pendant from around her neck and held it. Muttering a few words, the red color of the pendant seeped out of the gemstone, seeming back into the Queen, leaving a mostly clear gemstone fitted into a large, ornate necklace. The queen displayed the now clear gemstone to her three remaining children. 

"Only he of Royal blood can restore the Ruby," she preaches to the three children, each of them watching the gem intently. Then, in the palm of the queens hand, energy seemed to accumulate around the pendant, bright, white energy started building up around it. "And the one of you that does so shall be the new King of Stormhold." As the energy around the gem became greater and greater, the Queen lost consciousness, and soon after she took her final breath the gemstone shot out of the balcony Lorenzo met his fate on, shooting up to the sky. All three of the potential heirs crowded out onto the balcony, watching with burning intensity as the necklace shot high into the sky with the stars. As they all stood at watched, suddenly a bright streak of light started shooting down from the heavens many miles away. The three brothers, with their eyes peeled, kept a watchful eye on where the falling star was headed, for wherever they found the shooting star, they also found the pendant to claim the throne of Xhorhas… 

\--------------

"Oh, Caleb! A shooting star!" Astrid exclaimed, resting her hands on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful,” she sighs.

Caleb turns his head to look at her through the corner of his eyes, a small grin creeping up his face, “More beautiful than a ring from Hupperdook?” Astrid lifts herself off of his shoulder, rolling her eyes preparing a response before Caleb cuts in again. “Astrid, for your hand in marriage, I’d cross the wall and I’d bring you back that fallen star,” he says earnestly.

Astrid scoffs at his words, turning her head away. “Nobody crosses the wall, Caleb,” she says with a doubtful smile, “now you’re just being silly.”

“I’m not being silly, I’d do it,” Caleb interrupts immediately. “For you, I’d do anything.”

Astrid leans back on the picnic blankets, looking up to the infinite count of stars in the night sky before reaching up and tapping her chin contemplatively. “Hmm, my very own star…” She says up to the sky before pushing herself up sideways to face Caleb again, holding out her hand to shake. “It seems we have ourselves an agreement,” she says in the most poshy tone she can muster. “You have exactly one week to bring me back the star or I’m marrying Eodwulf.”

Caleb keeps his confident, or at least as confident as can be, smile plastered on his face. He can’t stop the echoing voices pounding in his head as he hears her terms, however. _You have exactly one week to bring me back the star or I’m marrying Eodwulf._

_Scheisse_

\------------

Flying across the sky, the star crashes within a large forest, leaving a gargantuan crater, impossible to miss if someone were to be walking by it. Lying in the center, however, lay the prone, unconscious form of a blue, horned woman with the necklace the king once wore around her neck.

\------------

“Jenna, Vess, wake up. Now!” Trent calls as he rushes into the horribly messy dormitory for him and his 2 siblings. Two horribly aged, deteriorating witches along with himself, a similarly horribly aged, deteriorating wizard.

Both sisters groan as they’re awoken from their much needed “beauty sleep”. “Yes, Trent?”  
Vess lazily calls, rolling on her mattress. “What is it?”

A slow, wicked smile crawls across Trent Ikithons face as his sisters watch him intently, “A star has fallen.”

At this, both Jenna and Vess shoot up out of their cots with wide eyes, before rushing after Ikithon into the center room of their once-great manor. Although now it’s little more than a gigantic trash heap for the 3 foul casters. 

As Jenna Iresor steps alongside Trent, who was gazing into a small fountain of water, he speaks up.

“Where are the Tal’Dorian candles?”

“You used the last one, Trent.” Vess says, “200 years ago, do you not recall?” Raising an eyebrow at her brother.

“Perhaps we can obtain another?” Jenna pipes in.

Trent scoffs at her suggestion before turning his head just to look at her through the corner of his eye. “Perhaps we can obtain another.” He mocks, “has your mind become as decrepit as your face, Iresor?” He sneers at her, “you speak as if such things are so freely available.”

Stammering to maintain composure, Iresor tries to defend herself, “I know, brother, I merely thought…”

Slamming his hand on the table, Ikithon silences her. “You’d have us hunting for a Tal’dorian candle, while some other sorcerer finds our star?” His voice crescendoing in volume and intensity as he continues, essentially screaming by the end. “Fool,” he shakes his head, “ there is no time to waste. If we must retrieve it on foot, then we shall.” Finishing his spiel, he turns to his other sister who is currently observing some runes and speaking quietly into the small pool of water, casting some sort of spell. “Vess, we need information.”

Nodding and pulling herself out of her focus, she turns to look at him and her sister. “If these divinations are correct, then the fallen star lies 100 miles away.” She says with a growing smile, “we’ve waited four centuries for this. What hardship a few more days?”

Jenna, stepping out from behind Ikithon, questions her siblings, “which of us shall go, then, to seek it and bring it back?”

“As we always decide, sister.” Trent says with a crooked smile as he goes to one of the many cages scattered throughout the main room and opens it, pulling out a starved squirrel and brings it back to their planning table. Pulling out a large machete-like blade, Ikithon flips the animal onto its back and slices it open down the middle. “Whoever retrieves the heart of this squirrel will go, we all shall close our eyes and reach blindly together.” His sisters nod and close their eyes and reach into the belly of the animal. Intent on being the one seeking the star, Ikithon allows himself to cheat at his own game, making sure he gets his fingers on the heart before closing his eyes again as all three of them pull out their retrieved organs, opening their eyes to see.

“I’ve its kidney,” Vess says.

“I’ve its liver,” from Jenna.

Ikithon smiles at the small organ within his hand, “and I’ve it’s heart.”

Jenna rushes off to the side to retrieve a small, yet finely decorated lead box as Vess cleansed the table of any unpleasant substance left from the recently slain squirrel. Jenna steps in front of Ikithon, opening the box to reveal a brightly glowing fragment of the heart of a star. “You’ll be needing what's left of the last star,” Jenna says.

“There’s not much left.” He says, observing the final fragment before he reaches out and swallows the last fragment. He’s soon encased by an almost heavenly aura, turning to look at a nearby mirror he sees that his once old, withering face, body, and clothing has been replaced with a young, sleek, very handsome features of a younger-middle aged gentleman. He turns back around, smiling at his two sisters (who are doing a poor job of hiding their jealousy of his visible youth) and tells them, “soon, there’ll be plenty for us all.”

\----------

After his picnic-date-evening with Astrid, Caleb hurries to the wall where next to the hole in the wall, sitting on a small chair is a large firbolg sipping tea out of a small china cup. As Caleb runs towards the man, he stands up and squints his eyes to get a better view of the man running towards the wall at nearly midnight. Upon seeing familiar, bright red hair run towards him he lets out a little ‘ah’, accompanied by the roll of his eyes.

“Leofric, not again.” The firbolg sighs.

Slowing down as he approaches the man, slightly winded, Caleb stops right in front of him. “Ah- its Caleb, actually,” he stammers.

“Oh”, the firbolg grunts, “you do look a bit like your father. And I suppose you intend to cross the wall as well, do you?” The firbolg takes a sidestep to stand more in front of the gap in the wall. “Well, you can forget about it. Go home.”

 _I suppose you intend to cross the wall as well?_ “Cross the wall as well as who?” Caleb questions, internally kicking the instinctively curious side of his brain.

“Hrm? Er, no one, nobody.” The firbolg says with pooly masked deceit. “Nobody crosses the wall, you know that! Everybody knows that!” He cries with uncharacteristic intensity.

Stifling his curious side, Caleb replies, though still slightly raising an eyebrow, “Er, ja. Ja, ja, I know. I understand sir, nobody crosses The Wall.” Caleb sees the Firbolg let a semi-relaxed smile cross his face as Caleb speaks. “Ah, well, I suppose I’d ought to be headed back for the old homestead, then,” Caleb says as he turns away from the wall, slowly walking away from it.

“Yeah… Of course, Mr. Caleb. Have a good night, feel free to stop by for tea anyti-” As the firbolg also turns away from Caleb and starts walking to sit back down, Caleb whips around and dashes through the wall. 

With incredible haste, seemingly unnatural, the firbolg makes his way to the other side of the wall just before Caleb and halts him in his tracks with a bash to the underside of his jaw with his large, wooden, branch-like staff.

As Caleb falls flat on his back, the firbolg leans over above him, looking down with a disappointed expression. "Off you go", he rumbles, giving Caleb a few alcohol wipes and other standard injury treatments and sending him on his way back home.

\------------

Later that evening, Caleb sits at the dining table with his father, the only light in the house a small candle resting atop the table. His father dabs at his chin and nose with a towelette, small water basin by his side.

"What was this?" His father asks as soon as he sits Caleb down to begin treating him. "Was it that Eodwulf again?" 

"Ahm, no, actually", Caleb replies with a nervous chuckle. "Actually, it was the guard.  
The guard at the wall."

Leofric raises an eyebrow, and a smile mixed with fondness and disbelief. "The- the firbolg at the wall? Caleb, he's 97 years old!"

Face reddening in light shame, Caleb tries turning his head a bit, though Leofric's hand on his chin keeps him looking forwards so that he can continue to clean his face. "Well, 97 years gives him plenty of time to practice, wouldn't it?."

"Hmm, so it would seem." His father replies absentmindedly. "Why, may I ask,  
were you trying to cross the wall?"

"I might ask you the same thing, pater."

Chewing on his lip at his sons abrupt reply, Leofric tells Caleb a (very condensed) story of how he had crossed the wall as a child, and met the woman in the yellow cart.

"I have a mother?" Caleb asks, shocked at the revelation, thinking all his life that he hadn't a mother since birth. "I mean, I have a mother.  
She could still be alive!" 

An expression of nostalgia creeps across Leofric's face, although it morphs into that of a fond memory, crows feet pricking at his eyes as he smiles. "Oh, I hope so. I certainly Iike to think so. You know, Caleb, I do still have a few things to remind myself of her." Leofric stands up and walks over to one of the counter drawers, pulling out a small box filled with various trinkets and baubles. He first pulls out a small section of a jeweled chain, letting it glimmer in the candlelight.

"The chain you cut," Caleb gasps, "just like you said." 

"Yes," his father chuckles, "and…" Reaching into the box, he pulls out a tiny white flower.

"And the snowdrop flower, the one she sold you!" 

"I could never let it go." Leofric sighs fondly, "she told me that it would bring me luck." Rolling it in between his fingers for a moment, Leofric gingerly tucks it into Caleb's breast pocket.

Looking down at the flower with wide eyes, Caleb looks back at his father, meeting his eyes. "Danke, father." 

Patting him on the shoulder with a smile, Leofric stands up. "One more thing," he leads Caleb up to a small closet in the upper floors and pulls out an old, hay-colored wicker basket, inside it lies a bundle of maroon cloth and a sealed envelope. "I've never opened it, it's addressed to you." Leofric holds the rolled letter out to Caleb. Caleb, retrieving and unsealing the letter with trembling hands, and begins reading aloud.

"My dearest Caleb, please know that  
I only ever wanted the best for you."

Had my mistress allowed it,  
I would have kept you in a heartbeat-

My dearest wish is that  
we will meet someday-

The fastest way to travel  
is by candlelight-"

Caleb unrolls the bundle of cloth in the basket, revealing a black candlestick, a Tal'dorian Candle.

"To use it, think of me and only me-

I will think of you every day, for always-

-Your mother."

Caleb holds up the candle, and turns to his father, who already has a match struck. Handing Caleb the match, his father nods. "Be safe, my boy. You deserve to meet her, come back when you can."

Caleb leans over to give his father a hug before receding, giving his father a mirrored nod, and holding the candle wick to the match flame, thinking only of his mother and who he thinks she might be. As soon as the strong, magical glow of teleporting energy surrounds him, Caleb's thoughts stray for just a moment- and then he's gone from the inside of his small cottage on the side of the road, and is instead surrounded by bright white light. Suddenly, Caleb feels a sudden moment of weightlessness before feeling as if he's being jolted at a terribly uncomfortable high speed through the nothingness. Being thrown through the light, he approaches what almost looks like a small doorway, painted green and brown and black, like a forest in the night. As Caleb is thrown through the door, he is thrown onto a blue woman with horns, and with his force, both of them are sent tumbling to the ground.

Caleb looks down at her with wide eyes of surprise and joy, reflected at him are eyes of more surprise than anything else. 

_"Mother?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stardust AU? *Scoffs,* i prefer the "Mollymauk kills lorenzo" AU.
> 
> But anyways thanks for reading y'all.
> 
> P.S. somebody please help me tag I don't know how :|

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there you made it, whaddya think? Yay or nay. Whichever you choose I'm probably still gonna make chapters for this but criticism helps immensely. Thanks y'all I will try my best not to fail you all. (Also is it fine that I'm basically ripping the entire story of stardust and changing a few things and writing it out ok? ik it's an au but I'm not sure if that's how AU's are supposed to go :\


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